FDA’s ban on Red Dye No. 3 is a win – but the fight against synthetic dyes continues

01/21/2025 / By Ava Grace

The Food and Drug Administration has banned Red Dye No. 3, a synthetic dye linked to cancer in animal studies, from food and ingestible pharmaceuticals.
Red Dye No. 3 was first banned from certain commercial products due to its cancer-causing properties.
The ban also follows decades of inaction from the FDA and advocacy from organizations who have called for the banning of all additives that cause cancer in animals or humans.
Activist groups are now turning their attention to other harmful synthetic dyes that are still widely consumed despite their links to a variety of health risks including allergies, organ damage and cancer.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a ban on Red Dye No. 3, a petroleum-derived synthetic coloring agent that has been linked to cancer in animal studies. While this decision is a step in the right direction, it raises serious questions about why it took the agency over three decades to act — and why six other harmful synthetic dyes remain in thousands of American food and drink products.

Red Dye No. 3, also known as erythrosine, has been banned in cosmetics since 1990 due to its cancer-causing properties. Yet, astonishingly, it has remained a staple in the American food supply.

The FDA’s decision to finally ban it from food and pharmaceuticals is being hailed as a victory for consumer advocacy groups, but it barely scratches the surface of a much larger problem surrounding the pervasive use of potentially dangerous synthetic dyes. (Related: The battle for a safer food supply: Consumers demand FDA ban cancer-causing Red Dye No. 3.)

The FDA’s ban comes after mounting pressure from organizations like the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), which petitioned the agency in 2022 to revoke the dye’s approval. The CSPI cited studies showing that Red Dye No. 3 caused tumors in male rats, triggering the Delaney Clause – a federal law requiring the FDA to ban food additives that cause cancer in humans or animals.

Advocacy groups turning their attention to other dangerous synthetic dyes inundating food products

Red Dye No. 3 is just the tip of the iceberg. According to the Department of Agriculture, Red Dye No. 40 is the most widely consumed synthetic dye in the U.S., found in over 36,000 food products. Like Red Dye No. 3, Red Dye No. 40 has been linked to hyperactivity in children, allergic reactions and potential carcinogenic effects.

Yellow Dyes Nos. 5 and 6, Blue Dyes Nos. 1 and 2 and Green Dye No. 3 are also under scrutiny for their potential health risks, including organ damage, hormonal disruption and behavioral issues.

The FDA’s reluctance to address these other dyes is baffling, especially given the growing body of evidence linking them to serious health concerns.

For example, Blue Dye No. 2 has been associated with tumors in animal testing, while Yellow Dye No. 5 has been linked to cell damage. Yet, these dyes remain in countless products consumed by millions of Americans every day.

Recent legislation passed in California could serve as a template for incoming Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for how to take bold action against synthetic dyes.

California’s School Food Safety Act, set to take effect in 2027, bans Red Dye No. 40, Yellow Dyes Nos. 5 and 6, Blue Dyes Nos. 1 and 2 and Green Dye No. 3 from foods served in public schools.

This bipartisan effort reflects a growing awareness of the dangers posed by synthetic dyes and a demand for safer, more natural alternatives. If the federal government follows California’s lead, it could mark a turning point in the fight to rid the food supply of harmful additives.

Visit CleanFoodWatch.com for more stories like this.

Watch this video reporting on the FDA’s decision to ban Red Dye No. 3.

The video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com.